[owenspackman]

I have always been a 'meguiars' guy, I have a wide range of their products and have generally been pleased with them. I have always been slightly frustrated at the rate the brilliant black paint would collect dust and dirty up even with their top products (i know thats obviously a draw back of a black car).

I had previously purchased both Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray and Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Sea detailing sprays from Zaino for my previous car (brilliant black CSRT4). I had opted for just the two sprays due to the cost and hoped it could get me the results I was looking for. I was pleased with the results, but didn't see a great deal of difference from using Meguiars Ultimate Detailing Spray to the Zaino sprays.

Since having the R/T (3000 miles now) I have done some more reading and decided to pull the trigger and get some Zaino in. The reviews are always more than favorable and the complexity and specific stages really interested me, as I love detailing the car anyway, I hoped it would be a match made in heaven. I went for the smaller car show kit and just deleted the leather products, adding 2 extra carwash bottle and adding another bottle of Z8.

The list was as follows:

Z-2 PRO Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes
Z-5 PRO Show Car Polish for Swirl Marks and Fine Scratches
Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray
Z-7 Show Car Wash
Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal
ZFX Flash Cure Accelerator Additive

I found a few other websites online with some advice and tips and set on my way. I cleaned the car with my kitchen dish soap and rinsed her and dried her off. Starting with Z2 & ZFX I applied a coat of polish, left her for an hour (humidity of 99% makes the drying time considerably longer). Cleaned off the polish, wiped the car off with a light coat of Z6 and then did two more coats of polish, Z5 then finished with Z2 with Z6 sprayed on the car in between. I had read to always finish with Z2 due to its 'gloss' qualities.

After that I did one final layer of Z6 and then used the Z8 Grand Finale Spray. I've learnt in the past to use very, very light coats of the sprays as it does go a long way. I should have also taken this advice on the polishes as I think I laid them on a little heavy, but I will know next time that 'less is best'.

I am very, very happy with the results, I could never imagined that Brilliant Black could look even deeper and darker than it already did. In the sun the flake just glimmers and in the shade it reflects everything in sight. Hours later I took 1st place in a car show.

These photos were taken 24hours after it was applied and I could go as far as to say that it looks even more impressive today that it did yesterday.

For me it was money well spent and the time and effort put in (don't be fooled, its hard work and will take time, but do it right and you won't regret it) was certainly worth it.

If you are on the fence over dropping the cash on Zaino I highly recommend it, but only if you're willing to go the whole way and not just get one or two of their products.

You can be the judges on the final results.

 

[CruzKing]

i have nothing to say except its the best i ever used. sometimes confusing but great results.

 

[owenspackman]

i have nothing to say except its the best i ever used. sometimes confusing but great results.

confusing yes, i was very confused as to why all my ZFX bottles were empty, until I did more reading and realized they were supposed to be and its the blue liquid in the smallest bottle ever thats the special stuff!!

How often do you go between polishes?

 

[owenspackman]

on reflection the photos really do not do the products justice!

 

[KS-SRT6spd]

I love this stuff as well. You are right it is a process....

 

[huggytree]

i have used the z-2 and am very pleased...it took the swirls off my stripes and made them into mirrors....i had professional photo's taken of my car and they had to photoshop the clouds out of my stripes....extremely smooth to the touch when done too

 

[383rr]

Looks great! Zaino is the only stuff I use on my Challenger.

 

[Kean]

Since having the R/T (3000 miles now) I have done some more reading and decided to pull the trigger and get some Zaino in. The reviews are always more than favorable and the complexity and specific stages really interested me, as I love detailing the car anyway, I hoped it would be a match made in heaven. I went for the smaller car show kit and just deleted the leather products, adding 2 extra carwash bottle and adding another bottle of Z8.

The list was as follows:

Z-2 PRO Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes
Z-5 PRO Show Car Polish for Swirl Marks and Fine Scratches
Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray
Z-7 Show Car Wash
Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal
ZFX Flash Cure Accelerator Additive

I found a few other websites online with some advice and tips and set on my way. I cleaned the car with my kitchen dish soap and rinsed her and dried her off. Starting with Z2 & ZFX I applied a coat of polish, left her for an hour (humidity of 99% makes the drying time considerably longer). Cleaned off the polish, wiped the car off with a light coat of Z6 and then did two more coats of polish, Z5 then finished with Z2 with Z6 sprayed on the car in between. I had read to always finish with Z2 due to its 'gloss' qualities.

After that I did one final layer of Z6 and then used the Z8 Grand Finale Spray. I've learnt in the past to use very, very light coats of the sprays as it does go a long way. I should have also taken this advice on the polishes as I think I laid them on a little heavy, but I will know next time that 'less is best'.

Looks good. Just a little advice on a few points based on my own experience….

Zfx is intended to help the product it is mixed with cure more quickly and is alleged to increase durability. However, when using Zfx, Sal only recommends 3 coats every 24 hours to ensure the applied product is fully cured before adding subsequent coats (if so desired).

Z5 and Z2 are essentially similar. The main difference is that Z-5 has some filling ability while Z-2 is a “pure” sealant and does nothing to hide scratches/swirls. Aside from characteristics like shine, gloss, etc., it’s basically a “what you see is what you get” type of product. ….in other words, if you see blemishes in the paint, they’ll likely still be noticeable after application of the Z-2. If you’re using both, I would personally recommend applying the Z-5 first and then the Z-2. Start with one coat of the Z-5, assess and then decide if you want to apply another. If so, add 1 more coat of Z-5 and then finish off your third with Z-2. …..or use one-two coats of Z-2 and call it a day. As you mentioned, Sal recommends using Z-2 as your last coat since it will provide a better overall “look”.

Folks commonly use too much their first time but they usually get to a point where they use less. On a car like the Challenger, I would say I could easily cover the entire vehicle twice with one 2 ounce mixing bottle. As with most waxes/sealants/coatings, less is more. I’m not sure if Sal still recommends this, but he said in the past that his Z6 spray can be diluted up to 50:50 with water. I used to cut my bottles with distilled water when I used it in between coats.

I rarely use Z-2 and Z-5 these days but when I did, I could get up 6 months out of 3 coats before felt the need for re-application (depending on the scenario). ….which is on par with other quality sealants I had/have used.

 

[BklynAJ]

Car looks great owenspackman.

Its the only stuff that touches my baby inside and out.

 

[rdockery_3]

Has anybody ever used Z5 by itself, if so how does it look compared to a Z2?

 

[McLMan]

Nice review. I love Zaino, the results are remarkable and worth the hard work to get it right the 1st time. After the initial process re-applying every few months (based on your car's environment) is a breeze.

Has anybody ever used Z5 by itself, if so how does it look compared to a Z2?

If you just want to go with Z5 you'll still be extremely happy with the shine and it's just as tough. As a matter of fact after putting on one coat of Z5 I thought there was no way the Z2 could make the shine any better (but it did).

 

[rdockery_3]

I don't want to buy the whole Zaino Kit, so can I just buy Z-5 and still wash with meguiars ultimate wash and wax and use meguiars ultimate quick wax after washes?

 

[Kean]

I don't want to buy the whole Zaino Kit, so can I just buy Z-5 and still wash with meguiars ultimate wash and wax and use meguiars ultimate quick wax after washes?

Personally? ….I would at least buy the Z-5, Z-2 and Zfx if you’re looking to help hide minor blemishes and get the best aesthetic result. If you are correcting prior to application or if your finish is otherwise acceptable to you in its current state, then I would just go with the Z-2 and Zfx.

I recommend the Zfx since it (as I mentioned before) allegedly helps durability of the sealant and allows you to apply up to 3 consecutive layers of product. Without it, you will need to let the Z-5 cure for 12-24 hours before applying another coat (according to Sal). As for the Z-2, it’s your call but it does help provide that signature look some folks seem to like. You can still use Z-5 alone if you like though. ….you may actually be happy with the result.

IMO/IME, you can skip the car wash solution, clay, follow-up products (gloss enhancer, etc.) and replace them with OTC products. The only caveat would be that I would probably not use a different QD in between coats as you would with the gloss enhancer spray for fear of running into compatibility issues and possibly compromising the characteristic of Zaino’s products. After application (during normal maintenance) should be fine.

 

[rdockery_3]

How long will a bottle of Z-5 or Z-2 last me? How many coats are in a bottle?

 

[Kean]

How long will a bottle of Z-5 or Z-2 last me? How many coats are in a bottle?

….while I haven’t used Zaino in a while, I recently applied a sample I had sitting around of Wolfgang DGPS a couple of weekends ago. The product is very similar to Z-5/Z-2 in its consistency and application IMO/IME. Of the two ounce bottle, I used just about an ounce to coat the entire car. ….I know others could do it with a little less.

I would say 1 ounce per application is about accurate. ….much more than that and I would say you’re using too much. Considering Zaino Z-5 comes in an 8 ounce bottle (IIRC), I would expect (obviously) about 8 applications or more on your Challenger. Thin, even coats are key.

 

[krusn98]

Don't forget the ZCS clear sealer. Wipe it on and wait until it starts shining. It works great over all the other products, and really deepens the shine!

 

[Kean]

Don't forget the ZCS clear sealer. Wipe it on and wait until it starts shining. It works great over all the other products, and really deepens the shine!

….this is just my own opinion, but I think it would be a waste to use in conjunction with Z-2 since that product stands so well on its own. I just don’t see where CS would add much value in the initial application process (sort of defeats the purpose of a WOWA; wipe on, walk away product IMO). I could definitely see it as an easy way to follow-up down the road though (or by itself over a satisfactory finish). ….just my opinion as I’m sure some feel it works for them.

Personally, I do use a WOWA sealant myself in some applications called Opti-Seal. However, it’s usually either by itself or as a stopgap if the characteristics of my current wax/sealant are showing signs of diminishing (and I want a quick way to throw some protection on the car). The nice thing about OS (and apparently with CS as Sal claims) is that it is compatible with a variety of other products. Ultima Paint Guard Plus is another popular WOWA product with similar characteristics.

….an interesting tidbit is that OS was in development the same time as CS but Sal (Zaino) beat Dr. G (Optimum) to the market by two months when they were released in ’07.

 

[owenspackman]

….an interesting tidbit is that OS was in development the same time as CS but Sal (Zaino) beat Dr. G (Optimum) to the market by two months when they were released in ’07.

you sure know your stuff!

 

[Kean]

you sure know your stuff!

....I guess I spend a lil' too much of my time trolling around the detailing sites/forums.

Seriously though, if you ever have the chance to try a WOWA product, they are really neat to use. In fact, I have actually come to a point where I use an airbrush to apply OS. ….cool stuff although my interests have been focused on the newer “coatings” lately.

 

[sniper226]

MMmmmmm Zaino......

Welcome to the cult. :bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

I am a member going on 14 years now...